diff --git a/help.c b/help.c
index 88a3aeaeb9f0b3..df1332fa3c977d 100644
--- a/help.c
+++ b/help.c
@@ -390,6 +390,7 @@ const char *help_unknown_cmd(const char *cmd)
 
 int cmd_version(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
+	static char build_platform[] = GIT_BUILD_PLATFORM;
 	int build_options = 0;
 	const char * const usage[] = {
 		N_("git version [<options>]"),
@@ -413,6 +414,7 @@ int cmd_version(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	if (build_options) {
 		printf("sizeof-long: %d\n", (int)sizeof(long));
+		printf("machine: %s\n", build_platform);
 		/* NEEDSWORK: also save and output GIT-BUILD_OPTIONS? */
 	}
 	return 0;
diff --git a/help.h b/help.h
index b21d7c94e8ce42..42dd98521946dc 100644
--- a/help.h
+++ b/help.h
@@ -33,3 +33,16 @@ extern void list_commands(unsigned int colopts, struct cmdnames *main_cmds, stru
  */
 extern void help_unknown_ref(const char *ref, const char *cmd, const char *error);
 #endif /* HELP_H */
+
+/*
+ * identify build platform
+ */
+#ifndef GIT_BUILD_PLATFORM
+	#if defined __x86__ || defined __i386__ || defined __i586__ || defined __i686__
+		#define GIT_BUILD_PLATFORM "x86"
+	#elif defined __x86_64__
+		#define GIT_BUILD_PLATFORM "x86_64"
+	#else
+		#define GIT_BUILD_PLATFORM "unknown"
+	#endif
+#endif